Los Gatos continues to roll with win over Silver Creek
LOS GATOS >> Addie Payne was a hero both offensively and defensively in the Los Gatos High School softball team's 2-1 nonleague victory over Silver Creek on April 28.
Payne, a senior, slammed a line drive up the middle to drive in the eventual winning run with two outs in the bottom of the sixth inning. In the top of the seventh, her throw from deep center field was relayed by pitcher Anna Bean near the mound to catch a baserunner at home plate.
“She's got a cannon for an arm,” said Los Gatos coach Randy Frey about Payne. “She's the real deal in center field. She could be the best defensive center fielder in the section.”
On her RBI single in the sixth inning, Payne worked a 2-0 count against Silver Creek's Maleah Lopez before sending the next pitch into center field.
“I kind of was just waiting for her to miss a little bit over the plate, and that's what I got,” Payne said.
In the defensive play of the game, Payne sprinted toward the center field fence to field a smash over her head by Angelina Castro with one out in the seventh inning and Kaylani Lim at first base.
“I was just hoping for the best,” said Payne about her throw from deep center field. “Luckily, it was right to Anna and then she made a perfect throw to home.”
Bean certainly provided her share of heroics in the win. Besides relaying Payne's throw to catch Lim at home, the junior smashed a solo home run to center field for the first run of the game and pitched three innings of shutout relief for the victory.
In her home run at-bat, Bean showed her skill at the plate in more than one way. After falling behind 0-2 to Lopez, Bean worked the count to 3-2 before ripping a powerful shot over the fence in deep center field.
“First pitch, I was like `Well, she's got a curveball.' Second pitch, I fell for it again,'” Bean said. “The third one, I finally recognized and I was just able to take it out.”
“I think four or five of her home runs this year … have come with two strikes,” said Frey about Bean, who had eight home runs this season entering this week. “She doesn't try to do too much with two strikes. She just tries to hit the ball hard.”
Avery Di Gangi led the Wildcats in hits against Silver Creek with a 2 for 3 performance. Sarah Nedwich added a fifth-inning single for Los Gatos, which had a total of five hits in the game.
As they have done numerous times this season, Bean and Lynsey Chiala teamed up to pitch effectively against the opposition. Chiala started against Silver Creek and allowed just one run on two hits and no walks in four innings. Bean finished up, allowing only two hits and a walk and striking out three.
The Wildcats won three games in three straight days last week to enter this week with an 11-game winning streak, a 20-2 overall record and a perfect 9-0 Santa Clara Valley Athletic League De Anza Division mark.
On April 27, Bean and Chiala combined for a shutout in a 4-0 league victory over visiting Los Altos. Bean pitched four innings, allowing four hits but striking out six and walking none. Chiala allowed no hits and one walk and struck out three in three innings.
Bean was 4 for 4 at the plate with two doubles and two RBI. Entering this week, her batting average was an outstanding .456.
Sree Sareday was 3 for 4 for Los Gatos, and Sara Sharma and Chiala were both 2 for 4. Both Chiala and Payne had RBI in the win. The Wildcats scored three runs in the third inning to take control.
On Friday, host Homestead scored the first run of the game in the first inning. But Los Gatos tied the score the next inning and took the lead to stay with two runs in the third inning, eventually winning 8-1.
Payne had a home run and a double, scored two runs and drove in one in the victory.
Bean was 2 for 5, including a triple, with three RBI. Sareday and Chiala both had two hits and two RBI apiece in the victory. Bean and Chiala combined for a three-hitter on the mound, with Bean striking out eight batters in five innings.
Baseball
Los Gatos High School was swept by powerful Palo Alto in a two-game series last week to enter this week with a 6-6 SCVAL De Anza Division record and an 1114 overall mark.
Palo Alto, which entered this week ranked fifth in the Bay Area News Group Top 20, defeated Los Gatos 9-1 on April 27. Jaden Mena drove in Los Gatos' run in the fifth inning.
On April 29, the Vikings beat Los Gatos 6-1 to improve to 20-5 overall and 11-1 in the De Anza Division. Los Gatos tied the score 1-1 in the bottom of the first inning.